One Good Fling Deserves Another
by Bubbly Sprinkling
Summary: A story about love, betrayal, and most of all the secret relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean!
1. Part 1

One Good Fling Deserves Another  
By: Ashley and Emily  
A story about the love/hate relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean  


  
Setting: Penny and Rob Reiner's Home  
  
"Oh, Rob!" Penny said imitating Laura Petrie crying for Rob in the Dick Van Dyke Show.  
  
"Look honey. I'm sorry, but I have to go. All In The Family has to go on location to shoot the next 3 episodes. You know I wouldn't leave you unless I have to" Rob said trying to calm his wife down.  
  
"But I'll be all alone!"  
  
"With Tracy" Rob added and Penny gave a sigh and said "I give up!". She picked up Rob's last duffel bag that had to be loaded into the trunk and shoved it in his arms.   
  
"Call me when you get there" and with that she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, turned him around, and shoved him out the door. When she was sure he had pulled away from the house she leaned against the door and with a relieved sigh she said "I don't know how many times I'll have to have to do that. I may be an actress, but this is crazy!" then she said slightly under her breathe "I hope he rots in hell."  
  
Later on the afternoon, about 11:00 am actually, Penny was busy trying to figure out how much more she can jab out of Paramount. She had a pair of sunglasses taking the place of a headband, her forehead rested in her left hand and drumming her pencil in her right hand on the table as she stared from her calculator to her sheets of figures. She thought she heard a creak, so she looked up and realized that her daughter Tracy was standing in the doorway in a very revealing outfit. She was wearing a very low cut red halter top, tight, black short shorts, and her dark colored hair piled on the top of her head secured by a pair of sunglasses placed on her head like her mother.   
  
"Mom? Do you know where my little black purse is?" Tracy asked.  
  
"Look in the car" Penny suggested not even noticing her outfit. She went back to her work and then she looked over as Tracy walked out of the room and she yelled, "Tracy! Get over here!" Tracy knew she was in trouble. "Where did you get that outfit?" Penny was ready to pounce on her but when Tracy told her she got it out of Penny's closet she realized she was caught. She told her she was only going over to Lori's house and Garry would be picking her up in 3 minutes so she let her go. Smutty outfit or no smutty outfit she had to let her go. She figured she'd let Garry handle her.  
  
"How long are ya gonna be over at Gar's?" Penny asked, still staring at her calculator.  
  
"I dunno ... we're just going over to the country club with Aunt Barbara." Tracy replied. "Mom, I can't find my mascara! Can I borrow some of yours?"   
  
"Yeah, it's upstairs on my dresser."   
  
Tracy rushed upstairs. Penny sat there, contemplating for a moment. She was in a deep train of thought when she heard the door shut. She looked up and saw it was her brother Garry, and his daughter Lori. "Trace! We're ready!" Lori yelled as soon as she entered the home.  
  
"She's upstairs Lori," Penny informed her niece.  
  
"Oh, hiya aunt Penny! Upstairs huh?" Lori asked. Penny glanced at her quickly and nodded, then turned back to the numerous figures. Lori dashed up the stairs screaming, "C'mon Tracy! Get your butt down here!"  
  
"What's all that?" asked Garry, walking over to the table.  
  
"Salaries, taxes, budgets ... all that fun stuff," answered Penny, lighting up a cigarette.  
  
Just then, Tracy bounded down the stairs along with Lori. She ran over and threw her arms around her mom's shoulders. "Bye Mom!" she screamed as she and Lori ran out of the door into the California sunshine.   
  
"Bye sweetie!" Penny yelled after her.   
  
"See ya later Pen," said Garry.  
  
"Bye!" Penny yelled.   
  
With that, Garry left. Penny looked back at her paper and figured it was a hopeless case, so she neatly stacked everything up in a pile and put in a her desk drawer. She walked over to her TV and turned it on just in time to see reruns of L&S (it did come on in reruns earlier around noon in the 70's). She stared blankly at the TV as she saw her and Cindy bound up the sidewalk chanting "1,2,3,4,5,6,7, 8 , etc.." She quickly realized what episode this was. It was "Look Before You Leap." She smiled slightly as she watched Lenny and Squiggy figure out Laverne thought she was pregnant. Although she kept telling herself she was smiling because the two guys were funny as a team, Penny knew she was smiling because Mike's face was on the screen. For a few months now Penny and Mike had been having a secret rendezvous. They tried not to let anyone know, but of course Cindy found out. She was kinda lost in a reverie when the phone rang and snapped her back into reality. It was Tracy on the phone asking if she could spend the night at Garry's. Penny agreed and said she would pick he up about 1:00 PM tomorrow afternoon. She placed the phone back in it's cradle and then thought "Well, isn't this something? I'm home alone. No one here. I can do whatever I want all night..."  
  
Flash forward to a half an hour later...  
  
Penny has music blaring and is singing her heart out and dancing around the house in one of her many naughty negligees. As she is in the chorus of "Stop In the Name of Love" the doorbell rings. She turns down the music, puts on a coat, and checks to see who is at the door. She discovers it's Michael McKean! ('Bout time he showed up! I was getting worried!)  
  
"Hey Mike!" Penny says trying to catch her breathe from darting across the house.   
  
"Hi. Is Rob home?" Mike asked cautiously.  
  
"Nah. He left on a business trip for a few weeks." Penny explained as she let him in. "Why'd ya come over?"   
  
"I was bored at my place. Susan is at a baby shower in Tampa for the weekend with Colin, again. She goes out of town a lot and always takes him with her" Just then he noticed she was wearing a coat. "Hmm ... interesting choice of clothing. Starting a new trend are we?" He asked with a smirk.  
  
Penny then realized she still in her jacket. "Well, I was kinda just having some fun."  
  
"Doing...?"  
  
"You'll see," and with that Penny darted behind the archway from the hallway into the kitchen and he could hear the tune from Pretty Woman start up (what is this, Oldies but Goodies night?! Anyway...). Right when the words "Pretty Woman walking down the street" were sung Mike could slowly see Penny appear again. She was doing sort of a sexy walk in her nightie and of course had a see-through robe over that, all done in black. He began laugh when he saw what she was doing.   
  
"Penny, you never cease to amaze me."  
  
When the words "No one can look as good as you" Penny slowly raised her arms above her head and kinda did one of those sexy wiggles where you lower yourself towards the ground. Then she dropped the see-through robe, revealing just the black negligee. And Mike's jaw just dropped. She leisurely rose back up and wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and he dipped her back. She giggled alluringly. As Mike lifted himself and her back up, their eyes met. They stared into each other's eyes yearningly for what seemed like an eternity. After a while the song ended, and somehow Penny was distracted from this sort of trance. "Uh... I'd better go... uh... put a different song on," she said stuttering. She took a deep breath and added confidently, "Any requests?"   
  
"Yeah," Mike started. Penny was off to change the music but he stopped her and said, "No. Let me." He walked into the kitchen and looked through all of the records and 8 tracks. When he found just the one he was looking for, he took the "Pretty Woman" record off the player and put on this one. All of a sudden, the familiar tune of "When A Man Loves A Woman" (Ya know ... that song! "When a man loves a woman..." somethin' somethin'... "Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down..." Yeah, okay.) blasted through the house, echoing off every wall. Michael appeared back in the archway, and smiled. He sauntered casually over to Penny, and whispered in her ear, "May I?"   
  
She looked up at him with those big green eyes, and nodded, "You certainly may."   
  
Pen wrapped her arms around Mike's neck, and he placed his arms around her waist. They began to dance. Michael pressed his lips gently against Penny's forehead. After a while though, tension began to mount, and the seductive temptation began to build. The two went into an almost instant lip lock, the passion becoming more and more intense. When they finally stopped, Mike was out of breath and Penny's face was all red. She turned around with her back against his chest, and he wiggled his way ever so slowly down her neck, and touched his lips to her bare shoulders.   
  
"Mike?" Penny asked.   
  
"Hmm?" Mike responded with his lips still locked to her body and his hands caressing her shoulders, back, stomach, and waist.  
  
"Are you still in love with Susan?"  
  
This caught Mike's attention and made him kinda uneasy. He could feel every muscle in his body tense. "What made you think of that?"  
  
Penny turned around and met his gaze face to face. "I dunno. I guess I just go to thinking with you coming over here a lot when no one is home"  
  
"Well, don't think so much" He said and he pushed back her carmel colored hair and began to kiss her lips. They both shared one long passionate kiss. Penny threw her arms around Michael and laid her head against his chest. Just then, she heard a clangor. She used her thumb to touch her ring finger ... and as she had suspected, the ring was gone. "My ring..." she mumbled.  
  
"What was that?" Michael asked, his hands caressing her waist.  
  
"Nothin'..." Penny trailed off.  
  
Just a few minutes later, Michael looked down at Penny. He noticed she was looking awfully thin, and he knew she hadn't had an appetite for days. He also noticed she was in deep concentration. On what, he couldn't be sure though. Out of nowhere, Michael blurted, "I'm hungry."   
  
Penny laughed and turned to him. "Did you just say you were hungry?"  
  
Michael laughed at himself and nodded, "Yeah I... guess I did. Hey, why don't you go into the kitchen and make some sandwiches okay?"  
  
Penny replied, "Okay ... sure." Then she walked into the kitchen. As soon as he saw her figure disappear he bent down and picked up the wedding ring that had fallen off Penny's finger. Inside it there was an inscription. "PM & RR 1971." Michael kept studying it. He walked into the kitchen with it still tightly secured inside is hand and found Penny going through the fridge.   
  
"Lose something?" he asked and showed her the ring. She looked down at her hand.  
  
"Oh I guess I did" Then Michael took her hand and placed it on her finger while gazing into her eyes. He started leaning towards her and Penny leaned back into the open fridge door and it slammed and she fell down flat on her back. Michael dropped to his knees and put one knee along either side of her and laid down on top of her. Slowly their soft lips touched and Michael slipped his hands under her waist and moved his hand up the back of her blouse stroking her back. When Penny felt his hand reach her bra clasp she drew back from his warm embrace.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mike asked.  
  
"I dunno" Penny said with a confused look on her face. "For some reason I feel sick, but not a flu sick".  
  
"Cramps?" Mike suggested.  
  
"Hmm ... probably" she said trying to shove it out of her mind. At that moment they heard a crash. Mike got up and helped Penny up too and they went to investigate. They found that Rob and Penny's wedding picture had fallen off the wall and the glass had cracked right between Penny and Rob. Penny picked it up and simply said "I'll take this as a sign."  
  
"First the ring, now the picture. Something is wrong here." Mike said getting an eerie feeling.  
  
Part 2 Coming Real Soon!!!!!


	2. Part 2

One Good Fling Deserves Another  
  
Part 2  
  
By: Ashley and Emily  
  
A story about the love/hate relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean  
  
Setting: Paramount Stage G  
  
"No! get your butt down here! I don't care if you have a hernia! Carole!" Garry yelled into the phone to his sister.  
  
"Carole?" David questioned  
  
"Penny's real name" Michael added. David just said oh. Everyone was listening to Garry yell at Penny even though they claimed to be "working."   
  
"Garry! I told ya! I have been sick all week! How do you expect me to end up there in one piece?" Penny questioned over the phone.  
  
"Very carefully!"  
  
"Please Garry! Just let me stay home! I have been throwing up every 5 minutes! If you don't mind that happening in rehearsal then I'll somehow find a way to come"  
  
"Good! Be here in 15 minutes."  
  
"GARRY!" Penny whined.  
  
"If you're that sick then see a doctor. If not, then get your patootie over here, NOW!" Garry yelled and slammed the phone down and stormed to his office.  
  
"Well, same to you!" Penny screamed over the phone, slamming it down. She drug herself out of bed, and ambled down the stairs to the fridge. She got out the cartoon of orange juice and reached up into the cupboard and pulled out a glass. She poured the juice into the glass and took a big gulp. She lit herself a cigarette and paced around frantically. "I don't understand this, I just DON'T understand this. I've been sick in the morning for the past week, this just makes NO sense." She took the lighted cigarette out of her mouth and took another sip of juice. She still paced back and forth, all around the kitchen and into the breakfast room. Then, it hit her. "No..." she said. She began to calculate on her fingers. "I'm turning into a defective typewriter!" she shouted. She sat down at the table and put her head in her hands, murmuring "No, this can't be, this just can't be..."   
  
Just then, Tracy appeared in the archway. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked. No response. "Mom?" Still no response. "MOM?"  
  
Penny looked up, a little startled. "Wha...?"  
  
Tracy put herself in the little white booth across from her Mom. "What's wrong?"   
  
"Nothin', sweetie..."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm just a little ... distraught, that's all."  
  
"And sick," Tracy added.  
  
"That too," and with that, Penny went back to thinking. There was a long pause.  
  
"Well,... I can certainly see you're busy so... I'm gonna go now..." Tracy said. Penny said nothing.   
  
Tracy dashed upstairs and raced into her room, her heart pounding. She abruptly clutched her phone in her hand, and began dialing the numbers to Paramount Stage 20.   
  
"Hello?" a voice said.  
  
"Yes, I'd like to speak to Michael McKean please."  
  
"Tracy?" the voice asked.  
  
"Cindy?"  
  
"Hey! Why are you calling Mike sweetie?"  
  
"'Cause I need to talk to him!"   
  
"But..."  
  
"Don't ask questions, Cin, just put him on!"  
  
"All right..."  
  
Tracy could hear Cindy screaming Mike's name in the background. She nervously chewed on her nails.   
  
"Hello?" said a familiar voice.  
  
"Mike! It's Tracy!"   
  
"Tracy! What are you callin' me for?"  
  
"Mike, mom's really sick. She's pukin' every 3 seconds and actin' really weird... Rob's out of town, and I know you guys are good friends so, could you come over?"  
  
"Sure, I'll be right there!" he said, and at that, Tracy heard a click. Mike grabbed his jacket and was darting for the door when Garry stopped him.  
  
"Where are you going McKean?" Garry asked.   
  
"Family trouble. I'll be back soon!" and he flew out the door and in no time he was in his car flying down the highway. He turned on the radio to try and calm him down, but the song that came on was "When A Man Loves A Woman" and he snapped it off 'cause it only made him get more upset. He finally reached Penny's house and Tracy met him at the door before he could even ring the doorbell.  
  
"Thank you so much for coming!" Tracy exclaimed. "I dunno what to do for her. I dunno what's even wrong!" She was near tears.  
  
Michael put his arms around her and reassured her that her Mom was going to be just fine. He didn't even take off his coat before her ran into Penny's room, but she wasn't in there. He then ran into the bathroom with Tracy shortly behind him and he found Penny laying on the ground next to the bathtub. He quickly took off his coat and threw it behind him on the floor as he knelt next to Penny. Tracy picked up his coat and slowly backed away. She went downstairs to hang it up and leave them alone. She was too afraid that she would break into tears. Penny looked up at Mike with tear stained eyes. He put his arm around her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mike asked, but Penny only began to cry. He held her tightly in his arms. He felt like he could make her feel better. Like he could change the world when he was with her, and that was just what he wanted to do right now. He hated to see her in pain.  
  
"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked again. She sniffled, and shortly after the sniffle came a great sob. She was holding on to him so tightly, he could scarcely breathe.  
  
"Everything's such a mess, Mike," she wailed.   
  
"What do you mean? What's happened?" he asked.  
  
She gazed up at him, her face drenched in tears. Tears of being sad, tears of being scared, tears of being happy. She opened her mouth and began to speak, but something stopped her. "I can't," she said, looking back down.  
  
"Yes, you can! Come on, tell me, what's wrong? What could be so bad?" Michael asked, his voice full of concern.  
  
"Mike, I think I'm pregnant." She said.  
  
A smile spread across his face. "That's wonderful! Why are you..." he trailed off, noticing how now she was sobbing harder than before. He knew immediately what was wrong. "Rob doesn't want kids, huh?"   
  
Penny replied, her voice shaking, "Yeah. But it's not just that."  
  
Michael was somewhat puzzled. And then it hit him. There was a long pause and then, he spoke up. "It's... not Rob's ... is it, Pen?"  
  
She shook her head no.   
  
"Ours?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, and he held her even closer. He kissed her cheek and stroked her hair. "Have you been to the doctor yet?" he asked. She shook her head no. "I'll take you."   
  
Penny laid her head against Michael's chest. "I'm sorry Mike, please don't hate me," she cried.  
  
"Aww, honey, I don't hate you. Why would I hate you? I love you."  
  
She sniffled. "I love you too."  
  
Okay, people. Feedback! I need feedback. Say it with me. Feedback. :) If I don't know what you think of this story I won't know if I should send more out or not. 


	3. Part 3

One Good Fling Deserves Another  
  
Part 3  
  
By: Ashley and Emily  
  
A story about the love/hate relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean  
  
Mike escorted Penny into a brightly shaded blue and pink waiting room filled with expected mothers. She wore dark sunglasses and Mike, Mike was too nervous to think of anything to disguise himself, so he just kept his head down and buried into a magazine he brought with so he wouldn't have to read Lady's Home Journal. Penny kept wringing her hands and tapping her foot. She had her legs crossed until she saw how the other women were staring at her so she kept them uncrossed.   
  
She finally leaned over to Mike and whispered, "If I knew at the time when we were shooting 'Look Before You Leap' that I would actually have to be doing this a few months later I think I would have listened more to what everyone was telling Laverne and Shirley. Now, all I remember is that the women would hate you 'cause you can cross your legs."  
  
Mike just smiled and put his arm around her and whispered in her ear, "You'll do fine."  
  
"I may do fine, but as for you ... well, all I can say is that you're reading your magazine upside down."  
  
"Carole Marschiarelli?" a nurse called from the doorway and Penny and Mike both stood up and followed. The nurse brought them both into another little room, but they were alone. She handed Penny a bunch of forms to fill out. "Are you gonna be all right?" the nurse asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. I'll be fine" Penny answered.  
  
"I was talking to him. Men somehow always faint or hyperventilate during these things" she said to Penny with a sweet smile. "Has anyone ever told you that you are a dead look alike for Penny Marshall?"  
  
"Yes, many times" Penny answered with a little laugh.  
  
"When you're finished with the forms just press this button and then the doctor will be with you shortly," the nurse informed pointing to a little button on the doorframe that could easily be mistaken for a doorbell. Then she left.  
  
"Ya sure ya don't wanna wait outside?" Penny asked.  
  
"I'll be fine. I've been through this before"  
  
"And if I'm not mistaken, you totally lost it when it came to the examination"  
  
"Those were just rumors"  
  
"Yeah, uh-huh. Sure..." Penny said sarcastically. Her hands started shaking when she tried to fill out the forms. "Can you fill this out for me? I'm too nervous" so Mike took the clipboard and pen.  
  
"Name... C-a-r-o-l"  
  
"With an 'e' at the end"  
  
"M-a-r-s-...ummm.."  
  
"M-a-r-s-c-h-i-a-r-e-l-l-i"  
  
He took a deep breathe and went to the next question. "Address," and he wrote her address and phone # in. "Height..."  
  
"5'6 1/2" she answered.  
  
"Eyes ... green. Hair ... brown. Weight..." he looked up at her.  
  
"Leave it blank. I'll fill it in myself when you're done." he just smiled and went on.   
  
"Birthday... October 15, 194...?"  
  
"I'll fill that in myself"  
  
"Age..."  
  
"I'll fill that in too and don't you dare try to figure it out either." So she snatched the clipboard from him and wrote everything else in, then pressed the little button. He noticed she was fidgeting nervously and couldn't take her eyes off the door. A few minutes later the doctor came in.  
  
"Hi! I'm Dr. Aaron."  
  
"Hi," Penny and Mike said simultaneously.  
  
"And I'll be y... oh my God," he said, almost deadpan. He pointed at Penny. "You're..."  
  
Penny smiled slightly and nodded. "That would be me."  
  
Then he pointed at Michael, his jaw still dropped. "And you're..."  
  
"That too," said Michael, smiling.  
  
"Then how come my paper here says Carole Marschiarelli?"  
  
"That's my real name. Carole Penny Marshciarelli."  
  
"Oh! Well, Miss Marshall, how have you been lately."  
  
"Crummy," she replied.  
  
"Well, that's not good. What's wrong?" Dr. Aaron asked.  
  
"Well, ya see... I think I'm pregnant," Penny blurted out quickly.  
  
"I see..." said Dr. Aaron. "Well, have you had any symptoms?"  
  
"Yeah, morning sickness, defective typewriter ... all the usual stuff."  
  
They continued a conversation, and then he examined her, and all the usual that happens with a person who thinks their pregnant. The next thing to do was just ... sit home and wait for the results. Which was exactly what Mike, Penny and Tracy did. Except, well, the news was quite a shock to Tracy. How do you explain to a fourteen year old kid they're about to become a big sister? Very politely...  
  
Okay, people. I need feedback, please! :) 


	4. Part 4

One Good Fling Deserves Another  
  
Part 4  
  
By: Ashley and Emily  
  
A story about the love/hate relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean  
  
Penny and Mike finally reached home. Mike drove and Penny kept her head in a brochure that the doctor gave her in case she was pregnant. When they got home Penny and Mike sat Tracy down.  
  
"Tracy, sit down." Penny said as calmly as she could.  
  
Tracy pushed her dark hair behind her ear, placing herself on the sofa in the den. "Why? What'd I do THIS time?" she asked.  
  
"No, no, you didn't do nothin'," Penny assured her.  
  
"You're dying?! You're dying and you have four months to live?!" Tracy asked quickly.  
  
"I'm not dying!" Penny said, shocked at Tracy's question.  
  
Tracy fidgeted with the straps on her dark blue tank top. "Then what's wrong?"  
  
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, silly. Ya know how I've been getting sick lately?" Tracy nodded. Penny took a deep breath. "Well,..." she said, pacing back and forth. She finally plopped down on the sofa beside Tracy. "You might just be a big sister."  
  
"A big sister?" Penny nodded and Tracy hugged Penny and jumped up and down happily going 'I COULD BE A BIG SISTER!'. She jumped into Mike's arms again chanting 'I COULD BE A BIG SISTER!'. Mike gave her a hug and gave Penny a look that said "See, I told you everything would be okay!" Penny was thrilled that Tracy was taking it so well. Pen invited Mike to stay over for dinner. He accepted, not exactly knowing how Susan would take it, but considering she was in Tampa, how was she ever gonna find out? If they fooled Tracy who knew more than Susan did then they should have no problem. It was Rob that they were worried about. They were all sitting around the dinner table eating, but of course no one was really hungry. They were too nervous. Well, not Tracy. She didn't really care. They were all waiting around, Mike nibbling on a roll, Tracy sipping on her soda, and Penny tapping her fingers on the table. Just then, the phone rang, and everyone scrambled up after Penny to get it.  
  
"Hello?" she asked breathlessly. "Yes, this is she. (pause) Uh-huh. (pause) Uh-huh. (pause) Uhh-huhhhh. (pause) Okay. (pause) Thank you," she said, and hung up the phone. She looked off into nowhere in particular, somewhat dazed.   
  
"Well,?" Tracy asked.  
  
There was a long, long pause. And then... "I'm pregnant."  
  
Tracy shrieked. "You're pregnant?!" She gave her mom a huge hug. "Oh Mom, that's wonderful! Wait 'til I call Sarah and Gracey and Patrick and Stephanie!" Tracy said, bounding up the stairs.   
  
There was a lengthy silence, and Lord only knows what it was, but in that silence, something was said between Penny and Michael. Not verbally, but through their expressions.   
  
"Well,..." Michael sighed.  
  
And then, Penny jumped into his arms and screamed, with a huge smile on her face, "We're havin' a baby!!!!" He screamed right along with her.  
  
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	5. Part 5

One Good Fling Deserves Another  
  
Part 5  
  
By: Ashley and Emily  
  
A story about the love/hate relationship of Penny Marshall and Michael McKean  
  
Well, it's definite. Penny is pregnant. She's excited, Mike's excited, and Tracy is excited. Penny had to stop Tracy from telling the world cause how would it look over the tabloids that Penny's pregnant when it isn't even her husband's baby? Once they found that out her life would be ruined, she simply told Tracy to keep quiet for a while.  
  
It's the next day at work and Mike got chewed out for not returning to work after he left and Penny is DYING to tell someone, but who? She reads over the script entitled "The Bully Show," ya know the episode where Lenny and Squiggy set Laverne up with their foreman. She sees there is a little bit of physical comedy, but not a whole lot. She sees in one part she jumps on Mike to keep him from Biff, so she takes Mike aside and she has him catch her so she doesn't fall and hurt the baby. Just then, Garry strolled courageously up behind Penny. "Penny," he said, his voice somewhat booming. She rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Yes Gar?"  
  
"Where've you been?"  
  
"I told ya before, sick, Garry, sick," she said defiantly.  
  
"With...?"  
  
Penny's eyes welled up with tears. Why, I'm not sure, I guess it's one of those mood swings. "Just leave me alone would?!" she cried and ran off to her dressing room, slamming the door behind her.  
  
"I'll go talk to her," Cindy said, rushing off. When she approached the door, she knocked lightly. "Pen?" she asked sweetly. "Can I come in?" She heard a faint sniffle, and shrugged her shoulders. She twisted the knob and walked in, closing the door behind her so as not to give everyone a free show. Penny was sobbing into a pillow.   
  
"Pen, what's wrong?!" she asked.  
  
"Nothin'!" she cried, slightly angry.  
  
She sat down and put her arm around her. "What's wrong? You can tell me," she said in a comforting tone.  
  
Penny looked up at her, with a look that said 'let's hope I can trust you.' "Okay ... but you must swear not to tell anyone else ... or I'll kill ya. I mean it Cin! Okay?"   
  
"I promise!" replied Cindy.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
"You're what?!"  
  
Penny nodded.  
  
"And you're crying over that?!"  
  
Penny shook her head. "No, no, it's not just that. It's M... M..." she stuttered.  
  
"It's M...?" Cindy asked.  
  
"It's Michael's."  
  
Cindy's eyes bulged out, and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.  
  
"MICHAEL'S?! As in McKean?!" Cindy shrieked. Penny nodded. "How did this happen?" Cindy questioned. Then Cindy realized what she just said and corrected herself quickly. "I mean I KNOW how it happened but ... why?"  
  
"I dunno. I guess it's been coming on pretty gradually. We started seeing each other off the set and aside from our family and then one day, BAM! It happened, ya know?" Cindy just nodded.  
  
"I still just can't believe it. I mean I always thought you and Rob were the "ideal" couple. Ya never had any fights, you weren't crawling all over each other and holding hands like some people do until you can't stand it. And you never really played all that kissy face junk with him..." Cindy trailed off as she realized what was going on. Penny and Rob got along okay, they were great friends. That's what had brought them together, friendship. Could a great friendship full of love have been mistaken for a different kind of love? Well, that seemed to be the situation here. They were two lonely people who needed each other at the time ... but maybe only as friends, and not as romantic interests. Penny just simply nodded. She figured Cindy caught on.  
  
"How did Rob take the news?" Cindy asked.  
  
"He doesn't know. Only you, Mike, Tracy, and I know. Also Tracy thinks it's Rob's Kid."  
  
"How did Mike take it?"  
  
"He was pretty happy" Penny answered. Cindy sighed.  
  
"This is one heck of a situation. It would also help a ton if you two weren't married to two different people"  
  
"Don't remind me. Please, try not to remind me of that."  
  
"When's Rob coming home?" Cindy asked, trying to sort of change the focus of this discussion.  
  
"Tonight," Penny said, her voice sounding somewhat melancholy.   
  
"You gonna tell him?" Cindy asked.  
  
"OF COURSE I'm gonna tell him," Penny retorted. "I just don't know how..."  
  
"Look, just calm down! You just sit him down and say 'Rob, I'm havin' a baby.'" Cindy said.  
  
"Real subtle," said Penny sarcastically.  
  
"Well do you have any better ideas?" Cindy asked.  
  
"No..." Penny replied.   
  
"That's what I thought," Cindy said. 


End file.
